England manager Roy Hodgson has been explaining his decision to call-up Southampton’s Luke Shaw and Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling for next week’s friendly against Denmark.

Saints left-back Shaw, aged 18, is named in a senior squad for the first time.

Hodgson said: “I think everyone who has watched him play recently will not deny that he deserves a place in a large squad like this.

“He has played extremely well and is an exciting talent. I think it was the right moment to invite him along.

“He is a player in a position where we are well off but he wants to compete with the other two for a place on the plane to Brazil.”

On Sterling, he added: “They [Liverpool] have been fantastic. They have played brilliantly well, their pressuring has been very, very good and they have made life difficult for the opposition.

“They have been quick out of the blocks and when they have won the ball they have been devastating.

“Raheem was with us for one of the qualifying games we played last year, he is a player I know from Liverpool but after bursting into the team he went away for a while but he is back now better than ever.”